Apparatus for the manufacture of longpile rugs by knotting pile tufts in a fabric



Sept. 16, 1969 H. E. JEANDUPEUX APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OFLONG-FILE RUGS BY momma FILE TUFTS IN A name Filed March 27, 1968 UnitedStates Patent O US. Cl. 1391 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Anapparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting pile tuftsconsisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabric constituting a groundweb of the rug, which makes a Ghiordes or Turkish knot firstly byinserting its pulling buckle into the ground web on one side of a threadportion thereof, secondly by moving its needles relative to the bucklethus pushing both ends of the strand of extra yarn through the groundweb while passing them on the other side of said thread portion untilthey come into the pulling buckle, and thirdly by pulling the apparatusout from the ground web.

Bent wires operating as releasable latching pawls normally prevent theneedles from moving forwards relative to the pulling buckle when thelatter is urged through the ground web. However, when this bucklereaches its end position, a tongue of a releasing tube engages theground web, so that the releasing tube removes the latching pawls fromtheir locking position thus automatically permitting the needles tocarry out their stroke relative to the pulling buckle. All theoperations of the apparatus can accordingly be controlled by merelymoving the handle of the apparatus to and fro.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to the apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs byknotting pile tufts consisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabricconstituting a ground web of the rug and, more particularly, toapparatus comprising a first unit including pulling means which can beset in a predetermined position behind a thread of the ground web bypassing said pulling means on one side of said thread, a second unitmovable in a predetermined manner relative to said first unit andincluding pushing means passing on the other side of said thread andreaching a well determined position with respect to said predeterminedposition of said pulling means when said second unit is moved in saidpredetermined manner, and actuating means for causing said second unitto move in such predetermined manner.

Description of the prior art The known apparatus of the above mentionedtype which have been made according to my former US. Patent 2,873,766serve to make Ghiordes or Turkish knots by means of strands of an extrayarn previously cut at a predetermined length. Some of these apparatushave a first unit including a pulling buckle usually made of metal. Thisbuckle can be inserted between two portions, for instance, of warpthreads, which are comprised between two weft threads of an open-workedfabric constituting the ground web of the rug. The pulling buckle iscarried by a head-piece on which a strand of an extra yarn can be set ina predetermined position. A rod is moreover rigidly fixed to thehead-piece on the side thereof opposed to that carrying the buckle. Thesecond unit of these known apparatus includes a support arranged forsliding motion along the rod of the first unit. Two needles arepivotally mounted on said support. These needles are guided by groovesprovided in the head-piece of the first unit. At rest, the forked endsof these needles are fully retracted and they lie within the head-piece0f the first unit where they are ready upon sliding the needle supportalong the rod of the first unit to catch the two ends of the strand ofextra yarn set on the head-piece. The needles are guided in such mannerby this head-piece that, at the end of the forward stroke of the secondunit along the rod of the first one, the forked ends of the needle crosseach other within the pulling buckle of the first unit. These knownapparatus make a Ghiordes or Turkish knot around two warp threadportions of the ground Web by firstly inserting the pulling bucklebetween these two warp threads, secondly moving the second unit forwardsrelative to the first one as far as possible and thirdly removing theapparatus from the ground web. The forward stroke of the second unitrelative to the first one causes the needles to pass on both sides ofthe pair of threads between which the pulling buckle has been inserted.The two ends of the strand of extra yarn which has previously been seton the head-piece of the apparatus obviously follow the needles. At theend of the forward stroke of the second unit of the apparatus, themiddle portion of the strand of extra yarn thus lies on the two warpthread portions of the fabric between which the pulling buckle has beeninserted and the ends of this strand extend under these two threads onthe other side of the fabric. Since the needles cross each other withinthe pulling buckle of the apparatus, the two ends of the strand of extrayarn lie both in this pulling buckle. Upon removing the apparatus fromthe ground web, these two strand ends are consequently pulled throughthe ground web by the buckle and they pass now between the two warpthreads between which the pulling buckle had been inserted, thus formingthe Ghiordes knot around this pair of warp threads.

Other known apparatus of the same kind comprise a first unit including apair of identical pulling buckles which are mounted for rocking motionrelative to each other about a common axis lying in the plane of thebuckles so that these two buckles can be either rocked into a positionin which they lie against one another or move away from one another likescissors. The second unit of these known apparatus also includes a pairof needles. These needles do, however, not cross each other, but theyextend in parallel. The operation of these known apparatus is similar tothat disclosed hereabove. The two buckles of the apparatus are insertedtogether between two thread portions, for instance of the warp of theground web, while these buckles are lying against each other. Uponmoving the second unit of the apparatus forwards with respect to thefirst one the two needles remain parallel and pass on both sides of thepair of threads between which the buckle has been inserted. During theforward motion of the second unit the two buckles move away from eachother so that each needle inserts one end of the strand of extra yarn inone of the buckles when the second unit comes at the end of its forwardstroke. By pulling back the handle of the apparatus the two bucklesthereof are first rocked into their, original position and then removedfrom the ground web together with both ends of the strand of extra yarnthus pulling these ends between the two warp thread portions betweenwhich they had been inserted.

Still further known apparatus of the same type comprise a first unitincluding two fixed buckles arranged side by side, each of which can beinserted under a thread portion of the ground web. These buckles arebent in such a manner that when they have been inserted each under onethread portion of the ground web, their ends extend upwards above theground web. The second unit of these apparatus includes two parallelneedles, each forked end of which enters one of the buckles when thesecond unit comes at the end of its forward stroke relative to the firstone. The needles thus cause the ends of the strand of extra yarn to passover the two thread portions of the ground web under which the bucklesof the apparatus have been inserted. By removing the apparatus from theground web its buckles consequently pull the ends of the strand of extrayarn under the two thread portions of the ground web thus knotting thestrand around these two threads. All these known apparatus comprise twocontrol members, one for each unit of the apparatus. A first controlmember usually consists of a handle which belongs to the second unit ofthe apparatus. The second control member consists of a button secured tothe end of the rod of the first unit, which extends throughout thehandle and on which the latter is mounted for shifting motion. In orderto urge the buckle or buckles of the apparatus through the ground web,the apparatus has to be held in such manner that its control buttonremains in contact with the handle. Afterwards, the second unit is movedalone relative to the first one by releasing the button and prosecutingthe forward motion of the apparatus only with the handle. To remove theapparatus from the ground web a pulling action need only be exerted onits handle. This pulling action first causes the handle to move backalone until it butts against the button while returning the needles ofthe apparatus into their resting position and then he buckle or bucklesto be removed from the ground web. These known apparatus have thus theadvantage that they can be actuated by only one hand while the otherhand remains free, e.g. for setting the strands of extra yarn on thehead-piece of the apparatus, for guiding the buckle or buckles of thelatter when the same have to be inserted into the ground web and forstretching the ground web during the manufacture of the rug.

These known apparatus have, however, the drawback of producing a fatiguein the hand which actuates the apparatus. Since the thrust required forinserting the buckle or buckles of the apparatus into the ground web hasto be produced by a single finger (the thumb or the forefinger), thatwhich lies on the control button of the first unit of the apparatus,this finger is jaded after a more or less great number of knots.Moreover, since the known apparatus can only be held in the hand in twodifferent positions, the operator cannot recover; he is, on thecontrary, compelled to interrupt his work.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention tocreate an apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knottingpile tufts in a fabric while avoiding the abovementioned drawback.

A more particular object of the invention is to improve the apparatusdisclosed in my previous Patent 2,873,766 by additionally providing thesame with releasable latching means inserted between said first and saidsecond unit for normally preventing said second unit from movingrelative to said first unit under the control of said actuating means,and with releasing means operatively connected to said latching meansfor removing the same from their locking position and permitting saidsecond unit to move in said predetermined manner with respect to saidfirst unit, said releasing means including a releasing member engagingthe ground web when said pulling means reach said predeterminedposition, thereby causing the releasing means to remove the latchingmeans from their locking position.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following description.

4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One embodiment of the apparatusaccording to the invention is represented diagrammatically and by way ofexample in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational partly sectional view of the apparatus in afirst working position;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 showing the apparatus ina different working position;

FIGURE 3 is a side view partly in section, and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section along line IVIV of FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus represented in thedrawing comprises a first unit including a head-piece 1 which is securedto a rod 2 and carries a buckle 3. A second unit movable with respect tothe first one comprises a slide 4 made in one piece with a handle 5. Twoneedles 6, 6a are pivotally mounted on slide 4. Needles 6, 6a are guidedby grooves 7 provided on head-piece 1; they are held within thesegrooves by pins 8. The shape of the needles 6, 6a and that of the bottomof the grooves 7 as well as the position of pins 8 are chosen so thatthe forked ends of needles 6, 6a enter the buckle 3 and cross each otherwithin this buckle when slide 4 is shifted along rod 2 towards headpiece1 from the position represented in the drawing. The sizes of theapparatus are moreover chosen so that, on the one hand, the buckle 3 canbe inserted between threads 9 and 10, for instance of the warp of anopen-worked fabric or ground web, and, on the other hand, the needlesengage the fabric between threads 9 and 11, 10 and 12, respectively,when slide 4 is moved toward head-piece 1.

Openings 13 are provided on head-piece 1 so that a strand 14 of extrayarn can be set thereon in a predetermined position.

The apparatus moreover comprises a latching device which is insertedbetween the two described units. This latching device comprises a pairof latching pawls consisting of spring wires 15. Each wire 15 is bent insuch manner as to comprise a straight portion 15a extending within alongitudinal groove 16 of rod 2, a bent end portion 15b which isperpendicular to the straight portion 15a and enters a bore providedacross rod 2, a camming portion which extends obliquely away from rod 2,and a locking portion 15d extending toward and in a directionapproximately perpendicular to rod 2. The latching device also comprisesa releasing member consisting of a tube 17 coaxial to rod 2 and tohandle 5. This handle together with slide 4 are mounted for shiftingmotion on tube 17. Two diametrically opposed longitudinal slots 18 areprovided in tube 17. In the position shown in FIG. 1 the cammingportions 15c and the locking portions 15d of wires 15 extend throughslots 18. Tube -17 is finally made integral with a tongue 19 extendingthroughout head-piece 1 (FIGS. 3 and 4). Tongue 19 protrudes in front ofhead-piece 1 when the second unit of the apparatus is in restingposition as shown in FIG. 1. If this second unit has been removed fromits resting position, a return-spring 20 located in handle 5 andbearing, on the one hand, on the bottom of this handle and, on the otherhand, on the upper end of tube 17 urges the second unit toward itsresting position which is determined by a stud 21 secured to slide 4(FIG. 3), extending through a slot 22 provided in tube 17 and abuttingagainst the end of a longitudinal groove provided in rod 2. In theresting position of the second unit of the apparatus, wires, 15 are inthe position represented in FIG. 1. Their locking portions 15d extendunder slide 4 so that a thrust the apparatus. Wires 15 thus prevent oneunit of the apparatus from moving relative to the other one when theyare in the position represented in FIG. 1. In this workting position ofthe apparatus, buckle 3 may therefore be inserted into the ground web ofthe rug, whatever may be the resistance opposed by the latter, uponacting only on the handle of the apparatus.

During inserting buckle 3 into the ground web, the front end of tongue19 happens to engage the ground web at the precise stage of theoperation, which is shown in FIG. 1. The engagement between tongue 19and the ground web can occur indifierently either with the threads 9 andof the warp or with one of the weft threads (not shown) which extend atboth ends of the warp thread portions 9 and 10, between which buckle 3is just being inserted. A continued thrust exerted on handle 5 in thedirection of the ground web has as a result to cause the apparatus topass from the working position shown in FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2 inwhich buckle 3 has reached the predetermined position in which it has tobe brought with respect to the ground web. At the same time tongue 19has been caused to get retracted in head-piece 1 and tube 17 to slidealong rod 2. This motion of tube 17 in turn causes the lower end ofslots 18 to slide along camming portions 150 of wires 15. As aconsequence thereof wires are urged toward each other until they comewithin the boundaries of the outer cylindrical surface of tube 17. Inthat position, wires 15 release slide 4 which can then freely glidetogether with needles 6, 6a along tube 17 while head-piece 1 remainsimmobile.

The apparatus makes then a Ghiordes knot around the thread portions 9and 10 of the warp under the same conditions as the known apparatus.Needles 6, 6a push the ends of strand 14 between thread portions 9 and11, 10 and 12, respectively, of the ground web and bring them intobuckle 3 at the end of the forward stroke of slide 4, i.e. when slide 4butts against head-piece 1. Handle 5 is then pulled back. As a resultthereof the apparatus returns first in the position of FIG. 2, then inthat of FIG. 1 and finally buckle 3 is removed from the ground web andpulls the end of strand 14 so as to pass the same between threadportions 9 and 10 thus ending the Ghiordes knot. The latching device ofthe apparatus described has thus the advantage that all the operationsof the apparatus can be controlled by means of a single member, namelyhandle 5, which can, moreover, be held in any desired manner. Therequired thrust for inserting buckle 3 into the ground web is thereforeno longer produced as with the known apparatus by a single finger but bythe whole forearm, which is obviously much less tiresome.

Although I have described one embodiment of my invention in detail, I donot wish to be limited thereto since various changes in the shape, sizesand arrangement of parts could easily be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention definesby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of long-pile rugs by knotting piletufts consisting of strands of an extra yarn in a fabric constituting aground web of the rug, comprising, in combination, a first unitincluding pulling means which can be set in a predetermined positionbehind a thread of the ground web by passing said pulling means on oneside of said thread, a second unit movable in a predetermined mannerrelative to said first unit and including pushing means passing on theother side of said thread and reaching a well determined position withrespect to said predetermined position of said pulling means when saidsecond unit is moved in said predetermined manner, actuating means forcausing said second unit to move in said predetermined manner,releasable latching means inserted between said first and said secondunit for normally preventing said second unit from moving relative tosaid first unit under the control of said actuating means, and releasingmeans operatively connected to said latching means for removing the samefrom their locking position and permitting said second unit to move insaid predetermined manner with respect to said first unit, saidreleasing means including a releasing member engaging the ground webwhen said pulling means reach said predetermined position, therebycausing the releasing means to remove the latching means from theirlocking position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said latching means include amovable latch member mounted on one of said units and having a cammingsurface and a projection cooperating with the other unit for normallypreventing motion thereof relative to said one unit and said releasingmeans include a shiftable releasing member cooperating with said cammingsurface of the latch member thereby causing said projection thereof torelease said other unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner

